Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week: Part 3 of a Three-Part Conversation with Survivors

The first week of April is Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week – which is a big deal around here! To commemorate, we have interviewed several members of our community. Each has been affected by this illness and faced that diagnosis with grace. Below is a compilation of their answers, which paints a broad picture of what young adults facing cancer experience. This is part three of a three part series. 
“I thought, ‘What a great way to give back to the running community, meet some cool people, and find some more purpose in my running.’ Little did I know how much CT5K and UCF would change my life.”
Everyone’s cancer journey takes twists and turns. Sometimes the road is smooth, other times it is full of bumps and potholes. We are very proud to say that no matter where a survivor is on their journey we are able to give them the support they need.
Q: How did you get involved with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF)?
James Berry: I actually found out about the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults through an ad on Facebook for their 4K for Cancer Run, and after looking into it for a few minutes I decided to make a spur of the moment decision and signed up before really talking to anyone about it.
Jennifer McRobbie: I started out as a Sherpa for Cancer to 5K (Ct5K) in 2009.  I was getting back into running, but looking for some more meaning to keep me going.  A friend, who knew Ct5K founder Holly Shoemaker, told me about the program. I thought, “What a great way to give back to the running community, meet some cool people, and find some more purpose in my running.”  Little did I know how much CT5K and UCF would change my life.
Kelsey Barbour: I actually just happened to stumble upon the UCF. A banner ad on the side of my Facebook popped up, advertising the 4K for Cancer program. I clicked on it, perused the website for a bit and after reading more about 4K for Cancer, I knew I had to get involved.
Jason Greenspan: I found out about the UCF through Ct5K. I was with my stepdad one day at a community center and stumbled across the last brochure they had for Ct5K. I kind of thought it was fate because I’ve always wanted to run a 5K. So I looked it up to get more information and signed up for it. I am very happy to say that I’m currently the fastest Ct5K participant to date.
Melinda Hood: I got involved by doing a 5K / 1 mile run/walk that they hosted at Stupid Cancer’s national conference. Laura told me they were launching a Ct5K program in New York City so I signed up!  It was a great experience and I can’t wait to participate again!
“My cancer diagnosis was originally just my own problem. It was personal and my only goal was to keep going. Now that my struggle is done, UCF has given me the ability to share my story and give inspiration to someone else that could be going through the same situation as me.”
Q: Did your experience with UCF open up new venues of support that weren’t available to you before?
Christa Bennett: Absolutely! My patient navigator, Allison Issacson, helped me get involved with…Cancer To 5K, the Jacquline Shearer Gala, support groups and new friendships with other survivors. I’ve had an amazing experience with the Ulman Cancer Fund and I’m forever grateful!
Gino DeFilippo: My cancer diagnosis was originally just my own problem. It was personal and my only goal was to keep going. Now that my struggle is done, UCF has given me the ability to share my story and give inspiration to someone else that could be going through the same situation as me. Another teenager who has to miss school can now talk to me about what to do and have some reassurance that graduation is still possible and that you can make new friends after this horrible journey.
Sonja Wagner: Even though I haven’t started the 4K ride yet, I still feel like I have received so much support. Most of the other participants are friends/family or caregivers of a cancer survivor so everyone is so kind and understanding. I actually had to have surgery last week to remove a cancer mass from my lung just 11 weeks before starting our ride. I was so nervous and was really stressed out about not being prepared physically for the ride after learning that the surgery would set me back a few weeks. However, with the support of my team, I have made the decision to continue my plan to ride this summer and don’t have a doubt in my mind that they are all cheering me on!
Olivia Marquart: The staff at the Ulman Cancer Fund has provided me with a group of people that are constantly supporting me. They have offered several different opportunities to connect with other people who are passionate about the young adult cancer movement. They have helped me to get involved with the Key to Keys experience this April. They were the first group I met that focused on supporting young adult cancer patients. Any other organization I went to I felt out of place because I was too old for pediatrics and too young to be in the adult side.
Shannon Shepard: The UCF has made me be a more outspoken person. When I was first diagnosed, there was not a support group for young adults with cancer. It was tough to tell my story and how I felt about things. When I found out that we had a patient navigator and she told me she was getting a group together, I thought that was a great idea. Now, I know there are others like me that are having a hard time just like me.
Brianne Kennedy-Brooks: Cancer to 5K was, and is, an integral part of my cancer journey and I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to reclaim my body and for the amazing volunteers who believed in me and pushed me to get back out there. I, honestly, could talk for hours about how amazing I think this program is. CT5K helped me to safely return to the world of running and to start feeling like my body was my own again. THANK YOU for everything you do to support this amazing program.
This is part three of a three part series. You can read the previous installments here and here. To be part of the conversation stay connected with us on facebook or twitter. Cancer Changes Lives…So Do We!

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2019-07-25T13:33:18-04:00
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